A tribute to the life and legacy of Ronald S. Perry – Boston Herald

The gymnasium at Catholic Memorial bears his name, but Ronald S. Perry’s legacy extends far beyond the building.

Perry was an iconic figure in the local high school and college athletics scene for over half a century. He died last Friday at the age of 92. As soon as people heard the news, tributes came from far and wide to talk. about the man many call ‘Mr. Perry”.

“It is difficult to put into words the impact he had on my life and on many other young men who played for him,” said former Catholic Memorial basketball star Ron Teixeira, whose number 52 was retired by the school in 2018. “He is more than just a coach. He has been a mentor to me throughout my life and without him I would not be where I am today. We always had our weekly phone calls at the same time every Saturday, which was something I looked forward to.”

Perry attended Somerville High School, where he gained fame as an outstanding two-sport athlete. Perry, the first 1,000-point scorer in school history (his 1,154 career points is still a boys record), led the Highlanders to the Class A and New England titles in 1949. Perry was equally dominant on the baseball diamond, leading his team to an Eastern Mass. championship in 1950.

Perry was a hero to many young people in the community, including Jerry Knight, who became a star player at Somerville before attending Northeastern. He would serve as the school’s basketball coach from 1972 to 1985 before spending the next 18 years as athletics director.

“You just didn’t get athletes like that, someone who was an All-Scholastic in both basketball and baseball,” Knight said. “I remember seeing him play for the first time when I was eight. He was a great player, but he was always a consummate student, member of the National Honor Society and class president.

Current Somerville basketball coach Mark Antonelli added, “He was always very friendly to me on the phone and asked about my family and about the team. He even met my grandfather and great-uncles. As a kid growing up with the folklore of basketball in Somerville, I remember being in awe of spending 30 minutes on the phone with “the Ronnie Perry.”

Perry went on to play both sports at Holy Cross and was part of athletics’ glory era there. He was part of a Crusader team that won a College World Series title in 1952, winning two of six games in the double-elimination event. Perry was a three-year starter in basketball, averaged over 11 points per game and was a starter on the 1954 squad that won the NIT title, at a time when winning the NIT had as much, if not more, influence than a NCAA Championship.

“The best way to describe Ronnie was he was a winner,” said Don Prohovich, a teammate of Perry’s on the NIT championship squad. “He was a legend, someone who did everything right. When I was a freshman I had to guard him in practice and he was just great.

“He was a great shooter, but he sacrificed some because we had Togo Palazzi, Tommy Heinsohn and Joe Liebler. When he was in Somerville, they had a College Coaches Clinic in the old Boston Garden and brought in some high school kids from Somerville. (Former Kentucky coaching legend) Adolph Rupp came out and showed everyone how to hit a two-handed set shot.

“He called Ronnie to the court and proceeded to take 15 consecutive shots. Rupp walked over and asked how he would like to see Kentucky bluegrass.

After graduating from Holy Cross with a degree in economics, Perry was drafted by the Boston Celtics in the fourth round of the 1954 NBA Draft (32nd overall pick), but opted to sign with the Milwaukee Braves. A three-year stint in the Marines ended his professional sports career and he went to work at Catholic Memorial as a teacher, athletic director and baseball and basketball coach.

In 13 years as a basketball coach, Perry amassed an overall record of 292-34, won 10 Catholic Conference titles, eight New England Catholic championships and three state crowns. Leo Papile, former coach and founder of BABC, says Perry was as responsible as anyone for Boston’s emergence as a national power.

“The first time I saw the Catholic Memorial game was in Newport and they took on Power Memorial and Lew Alcindor,” Papile said. “He was the first man to put local basketball on the map, he gave us some legitimacy. He had a standard of excellence and he was always a gentleman’s gentleman.”

Perry had many excellent players who went on to compete in college, including Bill Raynor. Raynor, an All-American at Catholic Memorial, starred at Dartmouth and was later named to the school’s Hall of Fame. Raynor is now interim athletic director at Oklahoma City University and holds Perry in high regard.

“I would describe him as a coach, a mentor and a friend – someone who played an important role in my life,” Raynor said. “I first met him when I was 15 and we had a relationship that lasted from then until the day he passed away. One lesson he taught me that I carried into all aspects of my life was to always stay balanced, stay under pressure and maintain that balance no matter what.

Perry returned to Holy Cross in 1972 and served as athletic director from 1972 to 1998. His presence was immediately felt as the school expanded its programs from 10 to 25 and many of the sports flourished under his watchful eye. Perry, the longest-serving AD in Holy Cross history, oversaw vast improvements in the college’s athletics program and facilities.

Perry wasn’t a coach, but he still impacted many lives, including Peter Colombo. A standout quarterback at Brockton High, Colombo arrived at Holy Cross and became a decorated dual-sport athlete (football and baseball), eventually entering the school’s Hall of Fame in 1996.

“I just love the guy,” said Colombo, who played second baseman alongside Mr. Perry, Ronnie. “He was a good family man, a great coach and administrator and like my father (Armond, the legendary football coach at Brockton) he helped thousands of guys like me.”

In his later years, Perry was revered for his devotion to his wife, Pat. She suffered a stroke and required constant care for the last years of her life before passing away in 2015. Perry returned to the West Roxbury area and was a fixture on campus.

“His mind was as sharp as a tack,” said current Catholic Memorial basketball coach Denis Tobin. “We talked about basketball and I told them how I used to come to CM games as a kid to watch Ronnie (Perry’s son) play. Then when he went to Holy Cross, I would watch the games at Ch. 27 with Bob Fouracre. He loved talking about the old days and all the great players he had the opportunity to coach, like Ron Teixeira, King Gaskins and Billy Raynor.”

Catholic Memorial President Dr. Peter F. Folan arrived 11 years ago and vividly remembers the first time he met Perry.

“He came into my office and we had a conversation about the value of athletics and how athletics shapes and builds a student’s character,” Folan said. “We talked about the power of the coach as a role model and how important it was that they cared about the individuals on the team, which I couldn’t agree more with.

“When his wife passed away, he came to the school every day for the past 8-9 years. I had coffee with him three times a week, he came in, sat on the bench in front of the school, talked to the students and teachers and said a prayer in the school chapel on the way out.

‘He was a perfect man of great faith and character. He was part of the greatest generation and a role model we should all aspire to.”

FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS: Visiting hours will be held on Friday, November 1 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Gormley Funeral Home, 2055 Center St., WEST ROXBURY. Funeral from Gormley Funeral Home, Saturday, November 2, at 10 a.m., followed by a Funeral Mass, St. Theresa of Avila Church, 2078 Center St., West Roxbury, at 11 a.m. Burial in St. Joseph Cemetery. To live stream the funeral mass, visit www.sttheresaparishboston.com. In lieu of flowers, donations in Ron’s memory may be made to Catholic Memorial High School, 235 Baker Street, West Roxbury, MA 01232.